SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECT

Situations of marginality produce ideas of justice. Lack of access to means

of representation / resources / survival means such as education, health,
etc. produces marginality. Similarly displacement creates marginal
situations. Likewise minority status engenders marginal existence.
Hereditary discriminations have the same effect. Gender has the same role.
These marginal situations have one thing in common – they speak of power
matrix. And they produce specific calls for justice. Different marginalities
generate different expectations and forms of justice – thus gender justice,
justice for the indigenous people, justice for those denied of dignity for
long, justice in form of certain socio-economic rights, justice for people
starving to death or for people living below poverty line – all of which mean
justice for those who cannot access the mechanisms for justice. The thing
to note here is that while constitution has provisions of justice in its various
articles and clauses, unlike in the case of rights justice does not have a
compact formulation, even though the Preamble and earlier the Objectives
Resolutions of the Constituent Assembly had justice as one of the founding
provisions. .

The social justice scenario is to be investigated in the context of two streams

of entitlements:

(a) sustainable livelihood, which means access to adequate means of living,

such as shelter, clothing, food, access to developmental means,
employment; education, health, and resources;

(b) social and political participation (enabling or empowering means), which

is built on the guarantee of fundamental rights, and promotion and
empowerment of the right to participation in the government, and access to
all available means of justice, and on the basis of which “justice as a political
programme” becomes a viable reality.

We require therefore a study based on select illustrations of various issues

relating to government policies on topics such as:

(a) the right to food and water; (b) housing, which includes resettlement
and rehabilitation; (c) access to education, (d) access to provisions of health
and healthcare, (e) right to work, and (f) access to information and the right
to communication.

Indian Handicrafts at Present

The epitome of India, lies in the art and craft, which symbolizes the culture, tradition and
societal values. Indian handicraft industry is one of the oldest & biggest industries of
India. It provides employment nearly sixty seven lakhs artisan and is one of the
Important suppliers of Handicraft to the world Markets
The roots of Indian art and crafts are entrenched very deep and they are capable of
influencing the generations passing by. The present status of craft in India owes much
to the rich craft traditions of the past. Most of the crafts from the past continue to flourish
due to their utilitarian nature, their availability to the common people, and popularity in
domestic and foreign market.
ARTISANS

“A skilled worker who has practices some trade or handicraft. An artisan is a skilled manual worker who
crafts items that may be functional a strictly decorative including furniture, clothing, jewellery,
household items and tools.” ‘Artisans, which are saturated into one community, are not identified by
any special class or caste, rather it is defined or identity stands by its unique traits and authentic
features. Artisans can be defined those people who can provide concrete form to their expression and
feelings. The artisan was an important factor in the equation of Indian society and culture. The Village
communities of craftsman have always been the centre of the traditional crafts of India.

A person is considered as an artisan depending upon the profession in which he is mainly engaged the
following occupations make it clear:

1. Weavers, knitters etc.

2. Shoe makers and other leather workers

3. Dress makers

4. Blacksmith, goldsmith and other metal workers.

5. Carpenters, painters etc.

6. Stone carvers brick layers plasters cement finishers etc.

7. Printer (paper and textiles) engravers, block makers etc.

8. Potters, glass and ceramic workers etc.

9. Makers of musical instruments, toys, sports goods etc.

10. Basket and mat weavers related workers.

The lacuna so far has been that in almost all development programmes to deal more effectively with the
economic, cultural and social problems that stalk India, for success of application of new technology ,
the artisans were not given their due place. They were neglected as irrelevant, unsophisticated and
unproductive workers.

Artisans are a living link amongst all groups in the society in the villages as well as in the towns, and
because of the labour of these artisans, self-contained life of the community was made possible. The
product produced by rural artisan add authentic value to the Indian Village and also plays a significant
role in the Indian Economy in general and in the life of the artisan in particular thus, they deserve to be
treated in a just manner

**challenges https://yourstory.com/2013/06/crafting-a-livelihood-a-snapshot-of-the-indian-artifacts-
sector-2?utm_pageloadtype=scroll **

Lets understand social justice in context with two artisans namely-

Blacksmith and …….

(A)BLACKSMITH
Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

---henry wadsworth

Page 1

Etymology: The "black" in "blacksmith" refers to the black firescale[citation needed], a layer
of oxides that forms on the surface of the metal during heating. The origin of "smith" is
debated, it may come from the old English word "smythe" meaning "to strike"[citation
needed] or it may have originated from the Proto-German "smithaz" meaning "skilled

worker."[1]

Black smithing is among very few traditional artisanal work that has continued to
survive as the Indian rural economy is based on agricultural production and agro
processing at a decentralized micro-levelIndia has well over 200,000 blacksmiths in
rural areas, each of these artisans constitute the segment of unorganized sector
livelihoods in rural areas that build and modify input tools for agriculture and non
agriculture purposes.. In today’s world of technology, we are beginning to depend more
on machines than men.
But there are some roles that are still dominated by the human hand and spirit. Take, for
instance, the many villages in rural North-East India where, when people want a tool for
their farm or home, they know whom to turn to: their own village blacksmith.
The blacksmith continues to occupy an important place in village life. He is one of the
most sought after.
Often, he learns the craft from his elder(s), an uncle, or a relative he grows up with from
childhood. The skills are taught and passed down to the promising young lad who takes
on the mantle once it is time. The skills are not necessarily taught in a formal way. The
young future blacksmith hovers around the uncle, sees, observes and begins by
practically assisting the ‘senior.’

The tools that get shaped at the blacksmith’s furnace include knife, sickle, spade,
weeding tools and hammer and tongs, including jaw tongs.
The techniques of smithing may be roughly divided into forging (sometimes called
"sculpting"), welding, heat treating, and finishing.
The Raw Material used are mainly Iron, Wood extracted from wood twigs of trees, Coal,
Water
Market: Trade Fairs Local Market
Type of Industry: Micro Scale Industry

• The Problem
•.
• Mass manufactured farm equipment coming in for modifications is stiff competition for the
traditional skill.

Use of old and Obsolete Equipment’s

Current methods include- large wheels, hand cranked blowers, manually operated large
compressors etc that are utilized to maintain and regulate temperatures and usage of such
outdated machinery results in low productivity
Income Level of Artisans
Increasing costs of labour, charcoal and raw materials do not allow for any savings and thereby
making them incapable of affording better and expensive resources. Most of the blacksmiths
depend on an additional labour to operate the manual blower which takes away significant
portion of their income as well as it affects productivity, income & commitment to customers as
there is huge labour shortage and the labour don’t turn up regularly. As a result their monthly
earning sums up to Rs1000/1500 per month

Lack of Better Resources and Weak Linkage

Due to high raw material procurement cost the blacksmiths depend mainly on local metal
dealers/supplier. Though dealers are local but the raw materials are of poor grade and quality.
The modern machines required for introducing the latest designs for the items are not available.
They have not been able to develop a proper linkage with the existing financial institutions and
other government agencies. Easy availability of credit is still a far way to go.

Lack of education and skills

Blacksmiths in India usually are poverty stricken and come from various backward
classes and lack basic education due to unaffordability factor. Moreover they acquire
skills which are being passed on by one generation to other and thus the acquired skills
do not develop in accordance with the development in the required tools/instruments
and other fields.

Lengthy Production Time

Extreme drudgery and long work hours to make a minimal daily wage: This is largely due to the
methods of igniting and keeping the furnace running as they work for straight 8-9 hours a day
varying with task being performed. Annual production is therefore as per need or order.

Lack of proper working place:

There is no separate working place with proper seating arrangements, tools taking in
consideration of the ergonomic consideration of the artisans for the units to carry out the entire
manufacturing process. No proper place to work in groups for sharing ideas. They are using their
front yards for the same purpose creating a very congestive space. Also they are not having any
separate godown facility to keep the raw materials and the finished items. This is not enabling
them to raise the production level.

Various Other Opportunities

> Intervention of financial institution, technical institution.
> Product development and design.
>Introduction of modern technology in order to upgrade the skills and quality of the products.
> Scope for creating showroom by the SHGs or cluster units.
>Introduction of market promotional measures.
> Participation in national level seminars
> Run their own businesses, while others work for industry, colleges and universities or the
government.

Threats Faced
> High competition with other cluster unit outside the region.
> Products designed are well polished in other cluster, pose a threat to the cluster products.
> Changing market trends/tastes.
> Poor finishing techniques.
> Machine made tools

Occupational hazards
Blacksmithing is one of the most hazardous of all tasks which even worsened by the poor
working conditions to which the blacksmiths are subjected to like working in dim low lighted
conditions, unhygienic surroundings lacking basic amenities.
Some of the hazards faced are:
1. Joint injuries: A blacksmith spends a lot of time hammering iron and steel on an
anvil. Many times, the anvil does not have a good rebound and they end up doing
double the work, which can cause a strain to their elbows and joints. Blacksmiths
spend long hours standing on hard floors, which can put a strain on their knees.
2. Risk to hearing and sight: A blacksmith’s eyes are exposed to hot flying metals,
which can immediately damage your eyes. A blacksmith’s hearing too, is also
susceptible to damage. The whine of the grinder and the roar of the forge can
actually leave you completely deaf.
3. Fires and Burns: In a blacksmith’s shop, fires can happen at any time. You have to
always be prepared for fires.
4. Smoke and toxic gas poisoning: Certain gases like Carbon monoxide are extremely
dangerous and can even be fatal to a person, if proper preventive care is not taken.
5. Metal fume fever: This is caused by burning zinc. Wrought irons do not usually come
with zinc. They are mostly found in old alloys.
6. There are a lot more hazards, like scrapes, cuts, crushed fingers, etc, but these are
the most common of them all.
(B)POTTER

I am but clay in the potter’s hands,

of all those around, he scoops ME up.
 He knows I am ready for all the demands
required to shape me into a great cup.

As he begins kneading my grooves and my dimples,

I feel the great warmth of the potter’s touch.
But soon he starts stretching me into more than what’s simple
and I’m suddenly sure he is asking too much.

---Mo Isom
Etymology:
Potters also known as the Kumhars derive their name from the Sanskrit word Kumbhakar meaning
earthen-pot maker.[2] Dravidian languages conform to the same meaning of the term Kumbhakar..
Kumhar is considered as a caste in India as well as Pakistan as are known by various other names
all over the world.

Pottery in the Indian subcontinent has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible
and iconic elements ofIndian art. Evidence of pottery has been found in the early
settlements of Lahuradewa and later the Indus Valley Civilization. Today, it is a cultural art
that is still practiced extensively in Indian subcontinent. and is one of the most
durable forms of art, with many fragments found from almost all time
periods and civilizations throughout the world.
One of the largest castes, they are reportedly spread across 212 districts of India,
predominantly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West
Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. They are known by
different names in each state.

Creations: earthen vessels, pots, decorative homewares, toys, idols of gods and
goddesses, pitchers etc

Clay bodies are grouped into 3 categories: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain
Main tools include kiln, potter’s wheel and modeling stand. Other Tools used are chamois ,
potter needles, felting knives, cut off wires, scrappers and ribs, wooden modeling tools etc.

Wheel-
3 main Techniques involved in hand-built pottery are pinch-pot, coiling, slab.
thrown pottery, however, requires special knowledge about how to work the
wheel and handle the clay while it’s spinning, among other things.

Raw materials used mainly include clay which is of various types, molds made of pop,
chemical colors, glaze solution

Market: local markets, trade fairs, street side sellors

Pottery being an age old prominent handicraft in India, its roots here can be traced
back to the earliest times of civilization. It has sustained for eons and is a massive
employment creator in both rural and urban areas.

[Government has tried to revive the industry by offering incentives for the handicrafts]
[industries to avert their death and also by conducting fairs and seminars where
they}[can showcase their skilled labor but the scenario doesn’t seem to have improved]

Modernization
Despite of the facts that domestic and export markets exist for earthen ware, wide
acceptance of paper and plastic products have posed serious threat to clay pottery as
whole and it has received sever set back. As the modern ways of plastic made crafts
forayed into our household people living in urban areas started relying on them and the
traditional handicrafts lost their luster. People don’t recognize the haphazard of these
artificial products all they care is about affluence.

Use of old and outdated equipments

As potters still depend on many outdated tools and techniques of pottery making like
There is pressing need to provide them improved tools and impart them training so that
could work with modern tools, modern techniques and learn marketing, manufacturing
process etc. thereby increasing their productivity and income.

Income level of potters

There is pressing need to provide them improved tools and impart them training so that
could work with modern tools, modern techniques and learn marketing, manufacturing
process etc. thereby increasing their productivity and income regarding the deteriorating
economic conditions of this community. The contribution made by the craft industry towards the
national income particularly in the state of Assam is very small due to its being unorganized, The
significant finding with respect to income received from the pottery business is that they received
a nominal income which is not sufficient to run their family. Only 16 household out of 58
surveyed households received income more than rupees 2001 per month. Considering that even if
these items are sold in bulk, an average potter would make up to only 5000 – 6000/- in a month
which is clearly not enough to sustain a family of eight people, or in some cases, even more.
These potters do not have access to a larger market and are unaware of the trade business.and lie
bpl.

Lack of resources and Weak linkage

Rapid growth of urbanization has adversely affected potters living in urban areas and
they are finding it increasingly difficult to carry out their activities due to non
availability suitable clay and protest from the neighbors against smoke coming out from
the oven. Further due to high cost of production of clay pots in comparison to paper&
plastic products, the demand has considerably decreased.It has been estimated that
over 40 lakhs rural potters still work with the help of conventional pottery wheels.
Of the 15 lakhs traditionally skilled potters, about 95% are involved in the work of
conventional red local pottery. In addition, the products made in the village pottery
are only sold to a restricted part of the society. They have not been able to develop
a proper linkage with the existing financial institutions and other government
agencies. Easy availability of credit is still a far way to go.

Lack of education and skills

Potters/ kumhars are considered as a caste in India and thus subjected to caste
discrimination and moreover lack of money due most of the potters lack basic
education. The skills being passed on from one generation to other are often
outdated . Also, there has been a decline in the number of potters engaged in the
business owing to the aging of the elders and the disinterest among the next
generation in continuing the profession and

Lengthy production time

Artisans are unable to meet their bare necessities like fooding, clothing, medicine and
education to their children despite of facts that all the family members including
children from the age of 5 years to old members of 70/75 years work whole day.

Lack of proper working conditions

 Often work indoors. Indoor spaces may not be heated or air conditioned.
 Rarely work outdoors, although some kilns or studios may be in the open air.
 Are often exposed to contaminants, from glazes or clay.
 Have a very low level of contact with others. Potters work alone most of the time.
 Most of these potter settlements are located in river basins or near to paddy fields.
 And are habitants of unhygienic places lacking basic amenities due to affordability factor

PAUCITY OF WORKING CAPITAL

Paucity of working capital is another main problem of pottery sector. Because of the lack of
adequate working capital, potters are not in a position to buy the raw material of required
quantity. The low investment causes low production and in turn low production. A good number
of units are operating below their capacity due to shortage of working capital. Due to the paucity
of funds, at times the potters opt for less remunerative jobs or resort to even daily wage earning.

Occupational hazards
1.Lead poisoning from pottery glaze and paint
NO form of lead or arsenic may be used in our materials without specific clearance
and training from the instructor. Lead is hazardous to breathe, to ingest (eat), and can
be released from firing into the air. Finally, any container glazed with these materials
may be toxic to eat or drink from because lead can leach into food or drink stored in
the vessel.

2.FIRING TOXINS

It is also found that common ball clay contains naturally occurring dioxin and that
firing releases the dioxin into the air. Long term breathing of the firing fumes show
accumulation in the blood.

3.DUST HAZARDS
Dust from ordinary clay and several other materials contains some free silica that is
too fine and heavy to be expelled from the lungs. Over time this can cause fatal
silicosis if breathed often enough. Never carelessly produce dust.

4.Vision and Eyesight Concerns

Staring into a white hot kiln to see the cones may damage the eyes. Intense ultra
violet (UV) and infra red (IR) light is emitted. Ordinary eye glasses or sunglasses may
protect from some UV, but are not helpful for IR.

5.Allergies , dry skin, back and wrist injuries are other hazards faced by a potter.

Various other opportunities

1.There is a huge demand for Nepali handmade ceramic products in the international market due
to their improved quality. Buyers are willing to pay a premium price for handmade goods, which
are propelling exports.

2.Ceramics has contribution in the export, too. These products are exported as handicraft
products to many countries. According to a national daily newspaper, exports of ceramic
products surged 45 percent in the first five months of fiscal 2016-17, reflecting a rebound from
the earthquakes of 2015 and increased demand for handmade goods in the international market

3. Potters can be a part of Terracotta Industry, Red clay glazing industries, China clay industry, .
Porcelain and bone china industry

4. In India there are many training and education centre for pottery ceramics. With higher degree
courses (B.F.A and M.F.A) there are many short term and certificate courses available. These
institutions provide modern knowledge and techniques of the pottery ceramics to the youth.

In order to improve the overall condition of the India pottery industry, it is

important to identify the various requirements of the manufacturing centers,
technological development along with advancement of the centers with help
structures have also become a necessity.

Interventions
1. Use of traditional tools is hampering the production process creating a need of arranging
for the modern machineries and other equipments necessary for carrying out the
production process smoothly. The linkage should be developed with the financial
institutions to go for introducing the required machineries.
 2. Product diversification is a major area of intervention. Development of new products is
expected to help meet the emerging and diversified demands from the different segments
of customers and to capture the new markets as well as to have a better hold on the
existing markets.
3. The under developed market system is a major gap in the cluster. The intervention is
required in the marketing process so that the units can get better price for their products
as well as can widen their market reach
4. Absence of better management practice is somewhat hampering the units to face the new
emerging business environment. This calls for the introduction of modern management
techniques like benchmarking, human resource management techniques etc.
5. Establishing common facility centers including raw material procurement center,
training and workshop centre and finishing center and heating furnace.
At enddddddd::::::;::;::;;::::::Thus often the profession of blacksmithing is not treated at
par with other professions when compared on the factors or challenges mentioned
above and in order to provide proportionate justice the government of India recognized
their special needs and took certain steps mentioned below: